KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 20-year-old Kansas City man is facing charges in connection with a shooting last week at a Northland Price Chopper that killed 21-year-old Trinton Phillips.
Blade E. Elliott has been charged with second-degree murder, attempted robbery and two counts of armed criminal action.
According to court documents, just before 5:30 p.m. on June 8, 2020, Kansas City officers responded to the Price Chopper located on Ash Avenue, near Interstate 35 and Route 291 on a reported shooting. When officers arrived they located Phillips in the driver’s seat of a black 2007 Kia Spectra, who appeared to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on scene.
A witness stated she was Phillips’ girlfriend and was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle at the time of the shooting. She said the victim had set up a Snapchat to set up a drug transaction that evening at the Price Chopper parking lot and had been in contact with whomever he was meeting. She said the suspect vehicle, a dark sedan, with a white male wearing a dark-colored shirt and dark shorts exited the driver’s side and entered into the rear passenger seat of the victim’s vehicle.
She then said a black male came out of the suspect vehicle and was pacing back and forth along the passenger side of Phillips’ vehicle. The witness told detectives she couldn’t recall any conversations, however, the white male suspect reached for the bag of marijuana which was near the victim. She attempted to intervene and that is when she heard the white male suspect shoot three times from the backseat, at which time the suspects ran from the scene in their vehicle.
Three 9mm PMC Luger Shell casings were recovered from the victim’s vehicle. No weapons were located on the victim.
Surveillance footage showed the incident and detectives were able to identify the suspect’s vehicle. Also through the victim’s cell phone they were able to learn he had been communicating with someone with the username “itstheblade.” Detectives matched the name with a Facebook profile which lead them to the suspect’s name.
He was arrested on June 12, 2020 and denied any involvement in the incident.
Blade is expected to appear Thursday for arraignment in Clay County Court.
